Jury convicts ex-Fall River mayor Jasiel F. Correia II of extortion, wire fraud, filing false tax returns
By Shelley Murphy Globe Staff,Updated May 14, 2021, 2 hours ago
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Jasiel F. Correia II (center) left Moakley Federal Court on Friday.David L. Ryan/Globe Staff
More than five years after gaining national attention when he became mayor of Fall River at 24, Jasiel F. Correia II was convicted Friday of what federal prosecutors described as âold school corruption,â including extorting bribes from four marijuana companies vying for dispensaries and stealing from investors in a smartphone app he helped create.
Correia, 29, a Democrat who served as Fall Riverâs mayor from 2016 to 2019, was found guilty of 21 of 24 charges after 22 hours of deliberations over four days by a jury of nine women and three men.
BOSTON The corruption and fraud trial against Jasiel Correia II continued Tuesday, with a focus on allegations that the former Fall River mayor extorted hundreds of thousands of dollars from marjiuana companies. The day was capped by stunning testimony from Hildegar Camara, one of four alleged co-conspirators.
Camara, who said he considered Correia to be like a son, has pleaded guilty to two counts of extortion, two counts of extortion conspiracy, and two counts of making false statements to federal prosecutors twice, on June 17 and 24, in relation to helping Correia solicit bribes from marijuana companies seeking local approval to set up shop in Fall River.
At federal corruption trial, marijuana vendor details alleged bribe to former Fall River mayor
By Shelley Murphy Globe Staff,Updated May 3, 2021, 7:44 p.m.
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Former Fall River mayor Jasiel Correia leaves Moakley Courthouse.Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff
In the summer of 2016, the owner of a marijuana company was golfing with two friends of Jasiel F. Correia II when he complained that he had struggled
to open a dispensary in Fall River. What did he need to do to win approval? he asked.
As testimony in Correiaâs public corruption trial entered its second week, David Brayton told jurors he received his answer days later when one of the friends, Antonio Costa, told him that Correia, then Fall Riverâs mayor, wanted a $250,000 bribe in exchange for a non-opposition letter, a document required for state approval.